It has been suggested that a sodium-retaining steroid other than aldosterone is responsible for the elevated blood pressure in the 25% of essential hypertensive patients with suppressed plasma renin activity. We are currently measuring the adrenal steroid secretory rates of various adrenal steroids including deoxycorticosterone, 18-OH deoxycorticosterone and 16-B-OH-dehydroepiandrosterone in essential hypertensive patients with normal and suppressed plasma renin activity. The data are currently incomplete.